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NAACP Protests

The article explains that the goal of the 7 week marches is to prompt the school board and administrators to take action agains the racial achievement gap and differences in the way students are treated. According to the NAACP education committee, closing the gap means devoting more resources to black students, hiring better qualified teachers and ensuring that black students are expected to meet higher standards.

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The article also touches on the issue of the district's practice of in general excluding from panels and committees those with viewpoints known to differ from the superintendent's, quoting NAACP President Gayle Moss as saying that "Roosevelt has been unwilling to communicate or involve the NAACP in any initiatives.... The NAACP has expressed its desire to serve on a committee for the Gates grant, but has not yet been invited."

The superintendent also took the opportunity in each of these Courier articles to make a negative comment about Schenley, stating that "When the asbestos thing happened, what we saw was amazing, we saw that the Hill District feeder kids were some of the lowest performing."

Putting aside the idea that it would take an "asbestos thing" to cause them to look at performance of feeder kids, this is the kind of vague statement that we hear all too often from this administration. Does he mean "the lowest performing" at Schenley (keeping in mind that the rest of Schenley was a magnet attracting a much lower portion of impoverished students than the feeder pattern); or does he mean "the lowest performing" in the District (again keeping in mind the high rate of poverty for Hill students); or is he implying without evidence to back it up that Hill students were among "the lowest performing" after adjusting for factors such as poverty levels?

The superintendent is also quoted as saying that "One of the things that was happening at our high schools, even Schenley, over time, it was easy for kids to fall through the cracks..." The Schenley building has been closed for over a year now and its remaining classes have been greatly disrupted. Wouldn't it be more relevant to look at whether Hill students in the feeder pattern for Brashear, a large school that is actually remaining open, are falling through the cracks?

"PST recognizes that a highly trained and dedicated faculty is the most important factor in determining its success. All teachers have at least one daily 80 minute Professional Period to develop high quality lessons, contact parents, etc. Teachers are paid for eight hour work days."

- Question: Are teachers at schools with entirely or almost entirely African American student bodies paid for 8 hour days and given 80 minutes to develop high quality lessons and contact parents?

Evaluating the "lowest performing" quote, it is interesting to note that according to the latest A+ report Schenley had a higher percentage of black students who were Promise GPA eligible (56.9%)than any high school other than the two full magnet schools (CAPA at 95% and Perry at 62.5%).

The lowest percentages of black students that were Promise GPA eligible were at Carrick (39.2%) and Westinghouse (39.4%).

That kind of quote is so disingenuous. The feeder pattern is just that -- the kids in the neighborhood who don't choose other options. It also includes the kids who've been kicked out of magnet and other specialized programs for both behavioral and academic issues. If a kid doesn't cut it at CAPA, well, then they're back as a feeder student.

Graduation rates, college attendance rates, etc. were all at or near the top at Schenley when compared apples to apples (for instance, by economic status or by race) at other comprehensive schools. It was also more integrated both in numbers and in actual practice than most other comprehensive schools. The feeder pattern at Schenley certainly wasn't matched up with, say, the feeder pattern at Allderdice, demographically.

The recession is creating both hardship and opportunity. Those who recognize the opportunity will use this time of uncertainty and high unemployment to improve their marketability. Our collective brainpower is a huge untapped resource, especially among members of minorities. Perhaps with a minority President, who is well educated, other minorities will begin to do what it takes to get the education that the best jobs of the future will demand. Richard Provance, thelearningbooth.com

"...is to force district Superintendent Mark Roosevelt, the school board and administrators to take action against the ever-present achievement gap between Black and White students."

Recently a comment on this blog pointed to a summary of the Conciliation Agreement on the district's website. Isn't it fair to say that many of the changes (a highly specialized, major financial committment at UPrep) and many of the decisions (curriculum in particular) are the result of the district complying with the agreement? Isn't it also true that the agreement came about as a result of an effort to close any achievement gap and gain equity? I have to say that at times it seems that the primary focus in the district is closing the gap and all decisions must first be weighed against that outcome.

It is certainly fair to say that the administration sincerely wants to close the gap It is a major goal set for the district by the foundations and A+ schools, and would be a real feather in its cap.

However, good intentions are not enough. The change in the gap has not been any different than the change statewide and so efforts have been ineffective. The district has resisted input from groups such as the NAACP and has not been rigorous about demonstrating evidence before plunging into initiatives. For example, it did not present evidence that hill feeder students would be better served by pulling them out into a school with a higher concentration of poverty and a lower concentration of high achieving students (given that the higher achieving hill students in many cases go to CAPA, IB or elsewhere). Similarly no convincing evidence in favor of a 6-12 concept has been provided.

The above statement from Marilyn Barnett, PhD, is true. The school disrict may provide the same opportunity but not every student arrives ready to work and learn everyday. It would be interesting to know if the campaign from the NAACP to motivate the district to do more has a companion campaign motivating the family to provide more support for students. African-American or Caucasian students doing well in PPS or any urban district where major social influences exist will most likely have strong support from home.

The very first time I saw a student publicly, blatently disrespect a teacher was at my first open house as a high school parent. The young lady's mother was present at her side and obviously agreed with her kid about the treatment the kid was getting as a student in the teacher's class. The student was Caucasian. The behavior was over-the-top. Showing up prepared to be a student is a skill taught at home.

Sadly, many students do not arrive at school ready and willing to learn. In some classes in some schools the percentage of students not ready and willing is reportedly very high. Students have medical, dental, family, behavioral and emotional issues. Caseworkers at youth and family service departments have staggering caseloads and cannot address all of these needs.

Over and over again at public hearings and in townhall meetings PURE Reform has urged that social serivces be expanded to help students to become ready and willing. There are probably schools that could keep a dozen social workers busy. But if problems are not addressed now they will only continue to multiply in the future.

Questioner, the lack of movement in closing the gap being no different at the state level might not be the fault of the methods currently in use. Couldn't it be that the kids just are not ready to buy into the idea that the gap needs to be closed? You need only attend a Promise Night to see that many African-American students are convinced. Their parents are too. They attend together. It is just there are not enough ready to accept the idea of closing a gap is good. Isn't it also possible that for too long ONLY school districts were doing anything to close gaps?

Questioner, you reminded me of something. Years ago when I first became an active PPS parent I asked my then principal about schools where I saw high achievement and active parents. She lived in one of the communities I mentioned and knew one fact first hand. In her neighborhood parents got interested and INVOLVED before their kids started Kindergarten, often before they got out of strollers.

*the lack of movement in closing the gap being no different at the state level might not be the fault of the methods currently in use. *

Well, technically the kids aren't being asked to close the gap, they're being asked to participate as students and learn the material. That's the part where help is needed -- like more support services, more integrated schools where there are kids from different backgrounds and different income levels,

I think the point being made though is that literally millions of dollars are being spent on this and that new curriculum, multiple add-on programs, software programs, coaches, etc. in this district (one of the very first things Roosevelt did was change the elementary reading program -- which had just been changed by Thompson before him and wasn't particularly different from that program). Those are huge expenditures.

One would hope that the effect of all this "reform", change, and spending would be for the PPS scores to close in on the scores of the state as a whole. That is what has not happened. Gains here are mirrored by gains statewide, which makes it hard to say that what we're doing here is working -- and it's certainly a reach to say it's working better.

And to follow up on the point of this post...I think that this administration has had a very hard time acknowledging that they don't know it all. They were convinced that physical changes (K-8, 6-12, smaller schools), specialty schools and a heavy emphasis on saying the right things (rigor, promise ready) would be the solution.

They didn't think they needed to know the parents, the students, the schools, the history. They didn't think there was much worth saving here or building on. Honestly, I think that they were convinced that people here were too dumb to know what was good. This is particularly true for the African-American community -- the administration seemed to believe that they weren't smart enough (or scoring highly enough) to be listened to. They were going to ride in and save those poor people.

However, it doesn't work like that. As they've realized that educational reform doesn't have any easy answers, my fond hope is that they will start to do more than just pretend to listen. That they have to work with the real people and places here and not just listen to the ideas of business people trying to reform education.

I'm not all that optimistic but I do think that they at least realize that there have been mistakes made at the expense of years of students.

The next generation of students will benefit from all the wisdom gained during our lifetime...maybe...hopefully...it could happen.

What most of the posters here and certainly the creators and moderators of this blog have in common is the desire to improve what is offered to city students. Undoubtedly that is what the administration and board want too.

I am all for increased social services and they should be provided as early as possible.

I was interrupted. I believe the board and administration do want students to be successful. As long as they are college bound. Anonymous mentions the mistakes and certainly the lack of attention to vocational programs is a glaring example of a mistake. I am old. I can't even name careers that are covered by the "CTE" label. Reforms were probably done out of order.

So how does a corporate approach to running a school system grab ya? Look, what's so hard to fathom here??? Everything this guy has done since coming to town has been in keeping with his background. What did you miss? How many here applauded his hiring, even when his resume paled in comparison to the other two candidates, who were well steeped in education.This is what people wanted, white, black and everyone else. The dirty little secrets behind the cloak of "excellence" come when one visits the Olivers, the UPreps, the Faisons....and by all means, don't announce your arrival or ask the principal for his suggestion about where to begin.Yeah, we've watched 4 years go by in which we are failing a large segment of our kids, regardless of their color. Too bad no one has noticed.